When you guys are setting up ground anchors for lead solo, what & how do you tie.? On a tree, I would normally double sling/carabiner to a double eight on my rope, but lately was thinking a double wrap with a bowline off my rope. The angle is rarely so high that it would slip upwards. On rocks, it's usually two-240cm slings as they are often 400-500 lb size rocks and it all works, but again somehow I think knots might be safer, snugger. Any thoughts appreciated.

When you guys are setting up ground anchors for lead solo, what & how do you tie.? On a tree, I would normally double sling/carabiner to a double eight on my rope, but lately was thinking a double wrap with a bowline off my rope. The angle is rarely so high that it would slip upwards. On rocks, it's usually two-240cm slings as they are often 400-500 lb size rocks and it all works, but again somehow I think knots might be safer, snugger. Any thoughts appreciated.

I usually make two or three wraps tied off around a tree with 1 inch webbing, then clip two biners to a couple of the wraps, make a 8 on a bight on the rope and clip that to the biners.

If no no trees are close enough, I'll find a crack near the bottom of the climb and try to get 3 good pieces of pro for an upward pull tied together with the rope or cordelette, kept in place with an opposing piece, then clip the 8 on a bight to them.

I have primarily used nylon slings, altho a few times tied a bowline to a tree on my main rope.(will stop doing that).

I was only investigating the rope issue on rocks, as I think it would grab better, and I have lots of shorter length ropes that could be used. Knots on rope are easier to untie. If so which knot would you use around a large rock.?

Bowline would be loose, which is what I am tying to avoid. An Eight seems awkward. Everything seems loose, unless you carabiner them then snug them, for which the only knot that comes to mind that tightens is the clove hitch.

I have used my spare ropes (15ft)to these anchors slings, then clove hitch them to the anchor grouping on the wall, to tension it up. If the angle is good, then it also holds my wall anchor in place directionally, as I often have difficulty finding a nut for upward pull. (or maybe I am just bad on upward pull nuts)

With the small group of knots I use, I am fast, good and confident (bowline, figure eight, clove, fishermans, including doubles & triples & finishing) but feel I'm missing some obvious knot for this rock.

I would do a round turn or clove hitch bowline. Meaning I would take my running end (rabbit) and either just do a round turn around the tree or a clove hitch before I tied my bowline with it. The clove bowline is NOT going to move up that tree.

The other alternative is to tie what amounts to a wrap 2 pull 1 with rope. wrap the running end around the rock twice, then do a double becket bend. Hold the becket bend against the rock and pull the other strand and attach to that. The more load is on the anchor, the tighter it cinches.

I'm a rescue guy not a climber, so these might not be what you're looking for. If you the explanations suck, send me an email and I'll try and get pictures for you.

I was only investigating the rope issue on rocks, as I think it would grab better, and I have lots of shorter length ropes that could be used. Knots on rope are easier to untie. If so which knot would you use around a large rock.?

No complicated knots required. - Put rope around boulder. - Tie fig-8 on a bight on one end. - Pull other end through. - Cinch tight. - Tie a second fig-8 on a bight.

I was reading a test study on knots, and the bowilne, while faulty at times without backup, is atomic when backed up. So if I could slowly incorporate it into my repertoire, I'd like to.

Bowlines are the knots I've relied on most over a 38 year career in climbing supplemented by the clove hitch, alpine butterfly, and the very occasional figure eight. By and large knots don't 'fail' - people fail in either tying them, dressing them, backing them up, or in their application.

stoneguy wrote:

Can you clarify your statement & why.

The double wrap around the tree by and large keeps the rope stationary and cinches on the tree in a fall. The bowline is simply the most 'natural' way of securing the rope in such a situation.

stoneguy wrote:

That's double wrap with slings, and bowline on the climbing rope?

I never use slings on trees when roped soloing, I just directly tie the rope around the tree (way too much hassle when coming down to second the pitch).

stoneguy wrote:

Also, why is it so necessary to have a static rope for cords and other tie-in's.? Thanks & glad you chimed in.

There are very few 'necessaries' in roped soloing outside of the essential componentry/rigging for survival. I've never used a static line for anything in my roped soloing over the years. But if you have construct some elaborate anchor wrapping big rocks then it can be a matter of how much dynamic 'give' is going to be involved with all that rope in the case of a fall. I suppose in some such circumstances you may want to use a static cord for anchor construction, but I've personally never run into such a situation, but that doesn't mean they don't exist.